Welcome friends, We hope you find a deep connection with us here. Our goal is to be informative and provide tips on how to make your journey through this human existence easier. We are a group of individuals that would love to guide you through the doors of happiness, joy, enlightenment, abundance and all things of love and light.
We all can remember a time as children that the adults gave us a coloring book and pack of crayons, but I bet back then those adults never thought about how to use adult coloring to alleviate stress in their life. Way back then coloring was a way to keep all the children occupied, quiet, as possibly as preparation for preschool and kindergarten.
Coloring was a favorite pass time for thousands of children. It allowed children to be expressive, creative, and quiet. Art therapy has been used for years in helping children and adults express themselves in difficult situations, and when finding the words can be difficult. While traditional art therapy does not include adult coloring the benefits of adult coloring are numerous and have many therapeutic benefits. It also allows adults to capture a little bit of childlike nature, and we could all use a little bit more of that!
A great positive benefit is that adult coloring has been found to be similar in nature with meditation. Meditation is becoming more recognized for its effect on stress. In meditation, specifically mindfulness, people will learn to become aware and more focused on the moment itself. Adult coloring helps people achieve this moment of mindfulness. Coloring activates the creative and pleasure center of the brain, allowing adults to separate themselves from their worry and lets them get in lost in a sea of pictures and colors.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD or ADD) effects millions of people in the United States, and left untreated it can cause a great deal of stress. If you cannot concentrate well this can impair several areas of life and cause the person effected a great deal of stress.
Yes, that is right. Adult coloring has been shown in increase concentration. A lot of college professors are welcoming and even provide the coloring books to use during lectures. Instead of students fidgeting, and not paying attention, they are becoming more focused in the classroom. This can relate directly back to the state of mindfulness coloring helps create. Students are becoming aware and being present in the moment. Did I mention that coloring also helps boost mental clarity? Research certainly suggest that it does! To say that adult coloring can help stop a wondering mind is probably an understatement.
Another well noted benefit of picking up an adult coloring book is that it helps create more positivity. If your feeling stressed you may not be acting or feeling like the most positive person in the world right now. This circles back to the creative and pleasure centers in the brain being activated. Pleasure centers equal positive thoughts! Positive thoughts equal stress reduction and new perceptions of situations. You can even download coloring pages here.
If reducing stress is not motivation enough to pick up an adult coloring book, still go grab a coloring book. Even if it just to revisit an old childhood favorite pastime. You will see the benefits start to unfold, or you may not even recognize that a simple little coloring book and crayons have started you on a path of less stress and positivity. This is only one very easy technique to reduce and relieve stress. There are so many other ways! Go for a walk, swim, run, play music and even specific music with embedded frequencies for stress – that’s called Sound Therapy, just like art therapy, it works. Go dig your feet in the sand at a beach. Do something that will put a smile on your face and a skip in your step!
It’s good to de-stress, do it often, your body will thank you!
A few months ago my husband and I visited one of our favorite restaurants, after we sat down and ordered drinks we found ourselves in a comfortable silence.
Yes, because both of us has immediately pulled our phones out and connected instantly to all of our social media followers. Few words were actually spoken that evening. That night I tossed and turned. Flash forward a few weeks, and we go to dinner as a family with our 3 children. Again, same routine, drinks were ordered and there we sat, in comfortable silence, connecting with our followers during a family outing. Again, a restless night.
Something was terribly wrong. Didn’t my husband and I set ground rules when we purchased smart phones for our children? Yet, we had set the example. I always said that we would not be that family, sitting in silence while browsing and refreshing social media accounts. Guess what, we had become that family and it caused a great deal of unrest for me. I started becoming more aware of how little we were actually functioning as a family unit and how little any one of us were actually present in the moment. So now that I have admitted my own guilt, I have to talk about why being in a constant state of plugged in can be harmful and why it is good to unplug from time to time.
There are studies being published daily on the harmful effects of being plugged in 24/7. One of the most harmful effects is really a no brainer, it is harmful to interpersonal communication skills.
Majority of social media updates are unfocused and lack appreciation and gratitude for the life that is occurring right before our eyes. We miss precious moments that we cannot get back or recreate. Traditionally, supper time was the time that families enjoyed a meal and connected with each other with meaningful conversation. Now, families are sitting around the table in silence while updating their status and text friends. Children are becoming strangers to their parents and vice versa. Humans are social creatures, but social media takes away the moment of talking or meeting in the flesh, the opportunity to make eye contact, and to really feel and be present in the moment with someone. Another, and perhaps more serious pitfall of staying connected 24/7 is that it can breed unhealthy feelings such as jealousy. Peer pressure has been around since the dawn of time and is par for the course in childhood and adolescence but was mainly limited to other neighborhood kids and classmates. The internet has changed the playing field, social media pressure comes from all over the world and can create anxiety, depression, and poor self-image among teens. Teens, and adults alike are pressured to create their idealized life via social media. This can lend to a whole lot of pressure and anxiety. Who wants to see pictures and updates about a lonely midnight ice cream binge? Social media feeds also lend to create a false sense of reality, especially for adolescents.
Look for more meaningful ways to spend time together, create, and be present in each moment. Do not succumb to the “I’m bored” arguments from your spouse or children. You and your family will benefit and you may find that at the end of the week you do not miss staying connected that much. The first few days will be rough, but at the end of the week you will find yourself and your family enjoying each other again, relationships will be strengthened and you will get to know your children and spouse again. Wouldn’t you rather go out and be present and actively participating in activities instead of just liking other people’s pictures? At the end of the week, you can reestablish boundaries for social media use, but create well defined times that everyone in the family will unplug and connect with each other. Ultimately, the benefit of unplugging is simple, you will get your life, and family back. You will create ways to enjoy time as a family and conversations will become more meaningful.
We live in such a fast paced and convenient world. Everything seems to be “on the go”. Communication is even more instant than in past decades. With never ending to do list and only 24 hours in a day, who knew being an adult could be this challenging! It really should come as no surprise that people are unhealthier than ever. Today, I will share a few tips to help start creating a healthier version of you!
EAT BREAKFAST
This is probably old news (BUT VERY IMPORTANT) since professionals have been screaming this for years and years! It wakes your body up and kicks your metabolism into high gear! I know some of you are asking, NO all breakfast foods are NOT created equal. Sorry for all the hard core donut lovers! A warm glazed donut or two with a glass of milk will only leave you with a sugar crash that will have you feeling sluggish and with a foggy head. The key here is protein, and fiber. A breakfast high in protein will amp you up, and keep you satisfied until lunch. No time for eggs, that is fine, fill up on a warm bowl of oatmeal.
SKIP ALL THE PROCESSED HIGH SUGAR FOODS
Focus on eating more whole, natural foods and make sure you get plenty of vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. If you find yourself needing a snack between lunch and dinner, reach for a small apple, orange, or grab a handful of nuts. If you feel hungry, reach for an apple, and if you are not willing to eat an apple you are bored not hungry.
GET UP, GET OUT, GET MOVING
Just 30 minutes of activity every day will not only help you shed a few pounds it will also help your boost your mood, increase your focus and you may be less likely to become sick. If that is not enough motivation, science has shown that those that are lead more sedentary lifestyles are at an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. My advice, choose something you love and go out and do it. Whether it be leisurely walking in nature, or vigorously killing it with a 5 mile run, or pushing play to one of your favorite Beachbody programs just commit to it and get moving! You’re more likely to commit if you actually like the activity! Exercise, it’s good for you!
STAY HYDRATED
This is so important. Our bodies need water, it craves it. Did you know that we can live longer without food than without water? I would say that makes water a very important component to living a healthier life. That sluggish feeling we sometimes get is not our bodies telling us to head to the nearest vending machine for a sugary treat, no, it is telling us to drink some WATER! Even minimal dehydration can cause moodiness, foggy thoughts, and lack of energy. The goal should be 8-8 ounces glasses of water per day. For non-water lovers this can be hard so set a goal and start drinking. Water is so much better than sodas that only serve to deliver empty calories, and a short lasting sugar high.
BE QUIET
Spending even 5 minutes a day in quiet meditation, or solitude can be rewarding. It helps manage stress and can have the added benefit of building mindfulness. In the beginning it can be hard to just be still and quiet for 5 minutes. Start small and work your way up.
BE GRATEFUL
We have all experiences bad days, bad weeks, or even bad months. It happens to all of us. The important thing is to know that it is just a bad moment, day, week, whatever, and that it will pass. Be grateful for the good people, things, moments, or just a spring flower blooming in your garden. Whatever the case may be. Take a moment to be grateful.
There you have it. A few tips to set you on your way to being a healthier person. Remember, Rome was not built overnight, and you will not get in tip top shape overnight. It will take dedication, and work, but once you are feeling like a million bucks, you will find that it was worth it. Try not to make big changes overnight. Make smaller changes over the course of time. It will be less overwhelming. Best of luck of your new journey!
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